Oliver slagle



o. SLAG'LB.

BUGGY TOP.

(No Model.)

Patented Mar. 13, 1888.

Prwwmhugmpher, wnmngxm n, c.

Trice.

UNTTED STATES PATENT' OLIVER SLAGLE, OF MONMOUTH, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO E. l?. CLARK AND M. S. BALDWIN, OF SAME PLACE.

BUGGY-TOP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. A379,546, dated March 13, 1888. Application filed November 22, 1887. Serial No. 255,921. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, t may concern: v leather, as shown, the flap d of which covers Be it known that I, OLIVER SLAGLE, of the space above the next slat below, adapted Monmouth, in the county of Varren and State to be secured in a horizontal position at the of Illinois, have invented certain new and useside of the buggytop along the lower edge of 55 ful Improvements in Buggy Sun-Shades and its permanent covering, the upper edge of the Storm-Protectors; and I do declare the followslat being inserted beneath the flap c of said ing to be a full, clear, and exact description of covering and its lower edge being supported theinvention, such as will enable others skilled and retained by the usual knobs or buttons, in the art to which it appertains to make and which are intended to hold the ordinary 6o 1o use the same. leather side curtains and which are fastened The object of my invention is to provide a rigidly to the frame-work of the top. Similar device which may be readily applied to the buttons also form a convenient means for the ordinary top buggy in common use, for the attachment of the upper slat of the rear shade purpose of excluding sun from the sides and through the medium of strips of leather se- 65 l 5 rear of the saine in fair weather, which at the cured to said slat and provided with buttonsame time is adapted to be easily closed when holes. I prefer that the buttons for the rear the weather is stormy to exclude wind or rain. shade shall be on the outside and on top ofthe The advantages of a top buggy closed at its rear buggy-bow in order that when the top is sides and rear are thus secured when desired, lowered the strips of leather may not slip off of 7o and, on the other hand, in the first-mentioned said buttons. The supports for the ends of position the device permits, while perfectly the slats which form the shade are suspended excluding the sun, a free circulation of air from the top slat, D. In the construction through the buggy from the sides and rear, shown these supports E are made of exible and practically unobstructed views of the surmaterial, such as a strip of leather or a stout 75 rounding country. tape, which makes a cheap and light device,

l The device comprises,essentially,a series of and also enables the shade when removed from pivotcd slats carried by a frame,which is conthe buggy-top to be rolled up into a small venientl y attachable to or detachable from the compass. The lower ends of the supports E ordinary buggy-top, and devices wherebythe are secured to the lower portion of the top 8o 3o slats may be turned into either a horizontal or frame in any suitable manner. As said frame substantially vertical position and there seis usually provided with rigid buttons, alreadycured. referred to, I prefer to utilize them or the knob In order to enable myinvention to be clearly I) for this purpose. To prevent looseness or understood,I have shown in the accompanysagging of the shade, however, and give elas` 85 ing drawings a means for carrying the same ticity to the structure, the lower ends of said into effect. supports E are not secured directly to the but- In said drawings, Figure l is a perspective tons, but are provided with springs c, adapted view of a top buggy having my invention apwhen stretched to be connected with said butplied thereto. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of tons or with the knobs b. In the construction 9o o a shade and protector detached embodying my shown said springs are connected by a short invention. Fig. 3 is a view of the rear shade. cord or chain, e', of adjustable length, whichV Figs. et and 5 are detail views. may be looped under the knobs i), thus con- Referring to the drawings, A indicates the veniently securing both springs byone motion. buggy-top oftheusual construction, supported F indicates the slats forming the main body 95 by the bows B, which latter are pivoted at of the shade. In order to provide for the pivtheir lower converging ends to the knobs or otal movement of these slats, they each have brackets b in the ordinary manner. at the ends short pins or pivots f, which pass C indicates the toggle-braces by which the through holes in the supports E and have at top is supported in its distended and upright their outer ends Washers or large heads f', to roo 5o position. prevent said ends from being drawn through D is a rod or slat, which may be faced with the iieXible material of the support. The material of the slats F, which will ordinarily be l fastening devicesintermediate between its top wood, is very thin and light, and in order to prevent the slats from being split by said pins I prefer to provide them at their ends with binding or clamping pieccsf" ot" tin or other suitable metal. It will thus be seen that each of the slats F is free to turn upon horizontal pivots and to take either a horizontal or a substantially vertical position.

The slats are connected so as to be operated simultaneously by means of a strip, g, of flexible material, which is hinged or loosely attached in any suit-able manner to the edges of the slats.

lIhe slats may be opened or placed in a horizontal position by means of a pull upon the upper end of the strip g, and may be closed by drawing the lower end ot' said strip down ward. I prefer, however, that the former of these movements shall be automatic and shall occur whenever the lower end of said strip shall be released. I therefore attach to the upper end of the strip a spring, g, and connect the upper end ofthe spring with the slat D or other suitable fixed support. Vhen, therefore, the strip gis not secured at its lower end, the slats F will be horizontal and open, so as to exclude the sun and permit free circulation of air and a practically unobstructed view, and when it is desired to close the slats to keep out wind or rain the strip g will be drawn downward, the spring g yielding for this purpose, and secured to the knob b or other fixed point of attachment in any suitable manner. In the drawings said strip is shown as provided with a chain, g, for this purpose.

The springs herein referred to may be either of metal or rubber. The sides of buggy-tops are usually of substantially triangular form. The slats F, composing the side shades, will not therefore be all of the same length, but will decrease in longitudinal dimension from the top toward the bottom, as shown. Moreover, I prefer that the shades shall not occupy the whole space at the side of the buggy-top, but that the rear portion of said space behind the rearmost of the bows B shall not be covered by any portion of the slats F. This space may be inclosed by a piece of flexible material, H, of proper shape, which may be secured either to the buggy s top or to the shade, or to both. By th ns leaving said space unoccupied by the rigid sla-ts F, I am enabled to partly close the buggy-top when desired.

rIhe rear shade will be composed of similar parts to those of which the side shades consist. r Ihe shape of the shade as a whole will, however, be different, and, if desired, the shade may be arranged to be closed by a spring at the lower end of its strip g, and opened'by pulling' upon the upper end of the strip. The rear shade, moreover, instead oi being secured at its lower end to thelrnobs b,will be attached to the buttons hereinb'efore referred to.

In order to prevent a lateral flapping of the shade, I prefer to provide it with additional and bottom. In the construction shown these devices consist of elastic bands t', which are attached at one end to the strips E, and are provided at the other end with hooks t. These bands are fastened so as to secure the shade by passing them around the rear and the front bows, B, respectively, and catching the hooks z" into eyesj, with which the strips E are provided for this purpose.

The operation of m'y invention has been sufficiently indicated in the description of its construction and uses.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

l. In a top-buggy shade, the combination, with a supporting-frame having astifftop strip or slat, D, adapted to be held by the curtain-buttons of the ordinary buggy-top, of a series of slats loosely attached to said frame and adapted to turn,as described, and a means for securing said slats in either position.

2. In a top-buggy shade, the combination of a supporting-frame, a series of slats loosely attached thereto and adapted to turn, as described, and sp rings connected with said frame for secu ring the latter elastically to the buggytop.

3. In a top-buggy shade, the combination of a supportingframe adapted to be secured to the buggy-top, and having side strips of dexible material, and a series of slats loosely attached to said strips and adapted to be turned, substantially as described.

4. In a top-buggy shade, the combination of a supporting-frame adapted to be secured to the buggy-top, a series of slats loosely attached thereto and adapted to turn, a strip connected with the said slats for turning the same, a spring secured to one end of said strip for drawing the same in one direction, and a securing device for holding the strip when drawn in the other direction against the tension of the spring.

5. In combination with a buggytop,a shade consisting of a supporting frame, springs elastically connecting the frame to said top, and a series of slats mounted in said frame, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. A top-buggy shade consisting of a series of slats, and a supportingframe carrying said slats and provided with holes or loops adapted in their position for the ready attachment of IOO IIO-

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the shade to the buttons of the buggy-top,sub

stantially as set forth.

7. A top-buggy shade consisting of a supporting-frame adapted to be secured to the buggy-top, and a series of slats decreasing in length from top to bottom of the series to t the'side of a buggy-top and permit the latter to be partly lowered,substantially as set forth.

8. In a top-buggy shade, the combination, with a supporting-frame, and a series of slats carried thereby of decreasing length, as described,of a supplemental shade piece of iexi ble material, whereby the space at lthe rear exible loop secured to the lower end of said of the slats at the side of the buggy-top may spring and oonneotedet its other end immebe closed and the partial lowering of said diately or mediately with the lower end of top also permitted. the other side strip, whereby the lower ends 5 9. In a. topbuggy shade,the combination of of said strips may be conneoted'elastically I5 a. supporting-frame of substantially trianguwith the buggy-frame. lar shape adapted to be secured to theV buggy- OLIVER SLAGLE. top, a tapering series of slats mounted in said frame, a spring secured to the lower end :o of one of the side strips of the frame, and a In presence of SAM. S. HALLAM, GEORGE E. EAR?. 

